Looks Like Kiev: Top 10 Names From #MBKFD

Top 10 Brands from MBKFD

Courtesy Monstra

Anna K

One of Ukraine’s most in-demand exports, this young social media savvy designer earned a coveted spot on the Forbes 30 under 30 list of arts and business entrepreneurs in Europe. The high-spirited show was livestreamed from the food court of a luxury shopping mall, further proving why Anna’s carefree style is gaining popularity with millennials everywhere.

Courtesy Anna K

Anna October

Easy, breezy, beautiful was the vibe at this designer’s offsite show, which paid stylistic homage to the ‘80s Americana: twisted denim and shoulder pads included. The presentation took place in a vacant Soviet-era shopping mall, highlighting the difference between the nation’s past and future aspirations.

Courtesy Anna October

Chakshyn

Move over D&G! The next duo taking over the fashion world might be from Kiev. Designers Dima Chayun and Anton Yakshyn (the brand is an amalgamation of their names) capitalize on their respective creative strengths to explore dualities: cyborgs and bucolics, East and West, masculine and feminine. Their stylistic total is greater than a sum of these parts.

Courtesy Chakshyn

Dafna May

This bright and airy collection had the buyers chirping from the first look to the last. Israel-born, London-educated, Kiev-based designer Dafna Mayberg has an optimistic outlook on style, befitting someone with an exciting post-globalization life story. This being only her second show, we can't wait to see what the future holds for this young talent.

Courtesy Dafna May

Flow the Label

Unabashed romanticism was contagious in a lyrical collection, inspired by the cinematic oeuvre of Francois Truffaut. This Ukrainian-Belgian brand is run by sisters Veronika and Viktoria. But there is no sibling rivalry here. The label has already acquired cult status in Eastern Asia and the craze shows no signs of slowing down any time soon.

Courtesy Flow

Helena Art

Girls just want to have fun, while roaming the wonders of the earth. Wanderlust was upgraded into a delightful style statement at Helena Art with hot air balloon sleeves and vintage suitcase motifs. This was a full collection runway debut for the promising young designer, who previously showed in group presentations.

Courtesy Helena Art

Jiri Kalfar

This Czech ballet dancer invested his modeling gig savings into becoming Prague’s hottest new designer. His collection turned heads with a bohemian take on disarming the high-style troops. Kalfar chose Kiev as his launchpad, due to the increased international attention the city has been attracting as of late.

Courtesy Jiri Kalfar

Monstra

This brand-new brand impressed the crowd with its out-of-Ukraine-box vision of beauty. Wild knits, grotesque appliqué and a live neo-jazz performance turned their presentation into one of the most talked about shows of the week. No doubt, you’ll remember that logo!

Courtesy Monstra

Navro

Designer Olga Navrotska was a stylist on over 200 music videos for top post-Soviet pop acts before she launched her own clothing brand. “Unicorns don’t cry” was the theme of this collection, which made everyone smile and reach for their wallets. Her 56K Instagram followers can’t get enough of these signature whimsical prints.

Courtesy Navro

Vozianov

Fedir Vozianov (winner of the 2017 Designer of the Year Award) cast Alexandra Kutas, one of Europe’s rising models and disability access advocate, as his muse for a collection steeped in Ukrainian folklore. The show was a critical success for the designer and a notable step forward for the nation as a whole.

Courtesy Vozianov

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Maidan. Eurovision. Vyshyvanka. Whether all or none of these terms ring a bell, they are all good reasons to put Ukraine on your style map. The Fall/Winter 2017 season of Mercedes Benz Kiev Fashion Days took place in the nation’s capital in early February, with no less than 54 runway shows. The event provided further evidence that this emerging Eastern European style destination is a hub for all things cool.

The challenge and the thrill of the Kiev fashion scene is that practically all of these designers have only a few collections under their proverbial belt. Only time will tell whose efforts prove to be truly sustainable.

Here are the best looks from designers whose work has generated the most social media excitement. Ready, set, Kiev!

Looks Like Kiev: Meet the Top 10 Ukrainian Fashion Designers

Take a peek at the top runway looks from Mercedes-Benz Kiev Fashion Days

Anna K

Anna October

Chakshyn

Dafna May

Flow the Label

Helena Art

Jiri Kalfar

Monstra

Navro

Vozianov

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